Housing for ballistic telemetering sonde

ABSTRACT

An improved housing for standardizing the assembly, packaging and potting of various combinations of operational components for a radio sonde into a highly flexible and interchangeable unit.

United States Patent Louis A. Schmidt Hyattsville, Md.

Nov. 26, 1965 May 11, 1971 The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee HOUSING FOR BALLlSTlC TELEMETERING SONDE 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl l02/70.2, 174/526 Int. Cl ..F42b 11/00, HOSk 13/04, H05k 13/00 Field of Search 102/ 70.2

(P); 343/7 (PF); 325/1 13; 174/50, 50.5, 52.6

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,647,991 8/1953 Totel et a1 325/113 2,856,852 10/1958 Hinman Jr. et a1. 102/702 3,008,415 1 H1961 Foley 102/702 3,027,842 4/1962 Hopkins 102/ 70.2 3,152,547 lO/ 1 964 Uyle 102/702 3,166,015 1/1965 Tune et a1. 102/702 Primary Examiner-Borchelt: Benjamin A. Assistant Examiner-Thomas H. Webb Attorneys-41. S. Seiascia and J. A. Cooke ABSTRACT: An improved housing for standardizing the assembly, packaging and potting of various combinations of operational components for a radio sonde into a highly flexible and interchangeable unit.

Patented May 11, 1971 3,577,925

INVENTOR Louis A. Schmidt BYkg n ATTORNEY HOUSING FOR BALLlSTlC TELEMETERING SONDE The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to telemetering sondes for projectiles and in particular to a universal sonde housing for use with any type and size of gun projectile.

Telemetering sondes now available are separately machined for each projectile and vary in size in accordance with the size of the projectile to be fired. These sondes have to be hand assembled with most parts individually potted before insertion into the assembly. There existed the need for a universal telemetering sonde mechanical envelope that could be used interchangeably in any size or type of projectile. The present invention contemplates a universal telemetering sonde mechanical envelope which has the advantage of less mechanical parts thereby reducing production costs considerably. Furthermore, the mechanical envelope of the present invention is unique in that it can be used as a polyethylene potting fixture as well as the housing of the finished assembly.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a universal sonde housing assembly adapted to be used interchangeably in any type or size projectile.

Another object of this invention is to provide a universal sonde housing which can be used to polyethylene injection pot an assembled sonde.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a universal mechanical envelope for use in assembling telemetering sondes for transmitting information from a projectile in flight.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a universal sonde housing wherein the same parts can be used interchangeably in any type or size projectile to cut costs and improve reliability of the sonde.

The present invention provides a universal telemetering sonde and method of assembly thereof. The electronic telemetering components are mechanically mounted within a cylindrical housing which is threaded for mounting upon any projectile. After assembly of the electronic components the housing is then closed, on the unthreaded end, by an end plate having apertures therein through which polyethylene is injected for purposes of potting the assembly. The electrical unit is then tested and if acceptable, a thin lip at the end of the housing is mechanically roll crimped over the end plate to form the finished sonde assembly.

These and other objects of the invention may be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view partially in section of a projectile carrying the sonde of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an assembled sonde; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the sonde shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a projectile l comprising a shell 3 and a fuze 2 is shown carrying a sonde 4. The sonde 4 is held in the projectile by screw threads 6 which engage a threaded hole in the rear wall 8 of the shell 3. A gas seal at the rear between the telemetering sonde 4 and the shell 3 is efiected by an O-ring 9 held in a groove machined between the threaded portion 6 and flange of carrier oscillator 14.

The fuze 2 is electrically connected to the sonde 4 by means of a coaxial connector 11, details of which are brought out in the copendiag application of Louis A. Schmidt, Ser. No. 148,295, filed Oct. 27, 1961. This coaxial connector allows for longitudi al adjustment between the sonde and fuze when the sonde is readed into the base of the projectile.

As most clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sonde 4 is composed of a hollow cylindrical housing or sleeve 12, preferably made from steel, having shoulders 23 and 24 formed therein. Inserted in one end of the housing is a carrier oscillator l4 havin a shoulder 19 abuttin one end of the housin A radially nlled hole 17 extends rough the housing and into the carrier oscillator. A grooved pin 16 is inserted through the radial hole to pennanently attach the carrier oscillator to the housing. The depth of the hole in the carrier oscillator must be such that the top of the pin 16 will be flush with or slightly below the outside diameter of the housing.

Also contained within the housing 12 is a reserve energizer l8 and a subcarrier oscillator 22. The reserve energizer I8 is spaced from the carrier oscillator 14 by stacked washers 21, some of which may be added to or removed therefrom to properly space the elements within the housing and to enable the subcarrier oscillator 22 to seat on shoulder 23.

Only one subcarrier oscillator is shown, but it is to be understood that if a multichannel sonde was needed, the housing 12 could easily be lengthened and a number of subcarrier oscillators added, depending on the number of channels desired.

As shown in FIG. 2, an area B is formed between the end of subcarrier oscillator 22 and endplate l3 resting on shoulder 24. This area B is polyethylene injection potted, through holes 27 in the endplate 13, prior to the forming of crimp 25 around the endplate. Above the holes 17 on endplate 13 are two electrical connections 28 which are adapted to be connected to a coaxial connector 11, as shown in FIG. I.

The actual assembling of the sonde is accomplished in a base insert (not shown) in the following manner. The reserve energizer l8, subcarrier oscillator 22 and endplate 13 are inserted through the connector end of the housing 12. Spacer washers 21 are then inserted through the energizer end and the carrier oscillator inserted into the housing against the spacer washers. The assembly is placed in a mechanical clamping fixture and the subcarrier oscillator polyethylene injection potted through holes 27 in the endplate l3. Plugs 26 are then inserted into the holes 27. The entire sonde assembly is then electrically tested and if it is found to be an operable unit a thin lip on the end of the housing is mechanically roll crimped over the endplate, as shown at 25 After the crimping operation the assembly is placed in a press to compress the entire unit. While in the press the radial hole 17 is drilled and the grooved pin 16 is inserted, attaching the carrier oscillator permanently to the housing. The external thread 6 on the carrier oscillator 14 is standardized so as to provide a sonde assembly which is universal to all gun fired projectiles, merely by threading the completed sonde assembly into the rear wall of the projectile to be fired.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

I. A universal telemetering sonde for use with any size projectile comprising;

a cylindrical housing,

a carrier oscillator fixed to one end of said housing,

a reserve energizer carried within said housing,

a subcarrier oscillator carried within said housing connected to said reserve energizer, and

an end plate fixed to the other end of said housing, said carrier oscillator comprising a threaded portion whereby the entire sonde assembly may be threaded into a projectile to be fired from a gun.

2. The telemetering sonde of claim I, further provided with a plurality of stacked washers between said carrier oscillator and said reserve energizer.

3. The telemetering sonde of claim 2, wherein'the endplate contains a plurality of holes whereby the subcarrier oscillator may be polyethylene injection potted while in the housing.

4. The telemetering sonde of claim 3, in which the means to fix the endplateto the housing comprises a thin lip portion extending over said endplate. 

1. A universal telemetering sonde for use with any size projectile comprising; a cylindrical housing, a carrier oscillator fixed to one end of said housiNg, a reserve energizer carried within said housing, a subcarrier oscillator carried within said housing connected to said reserve energizer, and an end plate fixed to the other end of said housing, said carrier oscillator comprising a threaded portion whereby the entire sonde assembly may be threaded into a projectile to be fired from a gun.
 2. The telemetering sonde of claim 1, further provided with a plurality of stacked washers between said carrier oscillator and said reserve energizer.
 3. The telemetering sonde of claim 2, wherein the endplate contains a plurality of holes whereby the subcarrier oscillator may be polyethylene injection potted while in the housing.
 4. The telemetering sonde of claim 3, in which the means to fix the endplate to the housing comprises a thin lip portion extending over said endplate. 